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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · bass · can · nail · fork · kid · season · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ground — the earth
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. kid — child
  15. fork — in a road
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rest — a break
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com